Associate Director, Travel & Expense

About the role

Position Summary Northeastern University's Travel & Expense function manages corporate card programs across multiple issuers and geographies, supporting approximately 3,000 cardholders and over $35 million in annual card spend, and administers a university-wide travel program through the SAP Concur platform. The Associate Director, Travel & Expense is a critical member of the T&E leadership team, serving as the primary steward of NU's corporate card programs, Concur platform configuration and operations (both expense and travel modules), policy compliance framework, and cardholder and traveler experience. This role is responsible for the day-to-day administration of NU's card programs across all issuers, the business-side administration of the SAP Concur platform for both expense and travel (workflows, policies, configurations, user administration), engagement with the travel program on Concur Travel configuration and travel policy, and the compliance and audit remediation activities that underpin the integrity of the T&E function. The Associate Director partners closely with the T&E Director, IT leadership, Finance, Internal Audit, and senior stakeholders across the university to deliver a compliant, efficient, and user-centered card, expense, and travel experience. The ideal candidate is a self-directed professional with demonstrated experience owning a card program and/or T&E operations end-to-end in a complex organization. They bring a customer-first mindset-understanding that compliance and service are not competing priorities-and the judgment to navigate ambiguity, escalate appropriately, and drive resolution with urgency and professionalism. This is a Hybrid position (3 days in the office per week) Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities Concur Expense Administration Serve as the primary administrator of Concur Expense module business-side configuration, responsible for platform workflows, approval routing, expense policies, audit rules, and system maintenance aligned with NU's T&E policy and audit requirements. Manage Concur user administration for approximately 15,000 users, including account provisioning, delegate setup, and role assignments for both expense and travel modules. Monitor and support the Concur-to-Workday Finance integration in partnership with IT and Finance teams, ensuring accurate and timely data exchange. Lead Concur system enhancement projects and platform optimization initiatives in partnership with IT and internal stakeholders. Monitor expense reporting activity and Concur report execution, identifying workflow issues, routing errors, and system anomalies requiring remediation. undefined Travel Program Administration Administer Concur Travel module configuration, including booking policy settings, travel request approvals, approval workflows, and integration with NU's travel management company, ensuring alignment with university travel policy and procurement requirements. Administer and maintain the high-risk and sanctioned country pre-trip approval workflow in Concur, ensuring alignment with Global Safety requirements and audit management commitments. Monitor travel booking compliance, request approvals, and Concur Travel report activity, identifying workflow issues, routing errors, and system anomalies requiring remediation. Serve as the primary escalation and consultation point for travelers and administrators with complex travel policy questions; work with the outsourced operations partner to ensure consistent policy guidance and interpretation. Card Programs Management Administer NU's corporate card programs across all issuers, including account maintenance, card issuance and cancellation, limit management, and program-level reporting. Serve as the primary point of contact for cardholders, cost center managers, and departmental administrators on all card-related inquiries, escalations, and exceptions. Manage card issuer relationships, including day-to-day account management, issue resolution, and coordination with the T&E Director on contract and program strategy. Oversee the Travel Card and Purchasing Card application, approval, and onboarding workflow in ServiceNow, ensuring a streamlined and professional cardholder experience. Monitor card spend for policy adherence, unusual activity, and fraud indicators; coordinate with Internal Audit, Risk Services, and card issuers on investigations as needed. Policy, Compliance & Audit Approve and finalize NU's T&E, card, and travel policy updates and improvements, ensuring alignment with peer institutions, audit requirements, and university risk standards. Review and approve updates to NU's T&E, card, and travel-related Knowledge Articles (KAs) in ServiceNow, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and accessibility for all cardholders, travelers, and administrators. Oversee audit remediation activities resulting from internal and external reviews; work with the T&E Director and the outsourced operations partner to

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